Swolecats, Fitcats, Thincats, Cardiocats, even Yogacats

[Cire]

crossfit isn't really for people that are out of shape looking to get into shape.

[yoga-like_abana]

midwesterners such close minded people..

[kstate16]

So I'm thinking of buying resistance bands for workouts at home and on the road.  Seems like a pretty sweet deal since you can carry them anywhere and are cheaper than buying a bunch of barbells. Where can I find good exercises for bands?

[Mr Bread]

So I'm thinking of buying resistance bands for workouts at home and on the road.  Seems like a pretty sweet deal since you can carry them anywhere and are cheaper than buying a bunch of barbells. Where can I find good exercises for bands?

Try some sort of lady's fitness store.  I'm sure they'll hook your right up, Hercules.

[michigancat]

I did yoga today. The guy had us use chairs. It was good, but mostly stretching.

[Mr Bread]

I did yoga today. The guy had us use chairs. It was good, but mostly stretching.

Sounds great. 

[michigancat]

midwesterners such close minded people..

I've heard people out here talking crap on crossfit out here, too. (But it was someone who was pretty rude.)

[OK_Cat]

but seriously, about treadmills....is that a pretty decent way of building endurance and weight loss/toning?  or do you only lose for a while and then hit a wall?

You will keep losing weight.  Use the incline function.  But also stop eating so much, fat face.

i'm not really that fat, meanie head.

I go on a "6" speed and "4" incline.  am i a total pud or is that pretty dece?

[CNS]

I could be wrong, but it seems like pretty much anything could be a crossfit work out as long as it is formatted in such a way that exercises work multiple muscle groups at a time and can be easily transitioned into in a one-immediatly-after-another way and that you do it for time.

I haven't done technical crossfit, but I have patterned many workouts after some I have read.  Also, I don't necessarily do workouts for time, although I have a period of time in mind when I write my workouts.  The difference being I will plan a certain amt of reps and sets of various things that I know I can do in an hour where Crossfit seems to be a competition to see how many reps you can get in a certain amt of time or how absolutely fast you can complete a predetermined amount of reps/sets.

[Mrs. Gooch]

I don't agree with everything but a lot of the workouts are great. I'm not sure what you mean by "accomplish", I'm sure everyones goal is different but my goal is to be physically fit and look good naked(not joking at all) oh and kick both of my brothers asses in the workouts.  I like the competition of it and being able to have things to work on and seeing improvements.  It's also a great way to meet new people. If you have good programming it really is pretty great.
It gets a bad rap because it has this brand name of crossfit.  everyone associates it with something but if I did a workout that someone else did and just called it a workout no one would say anything but you do that workout and say its crossfit all of a sudden its taboo in some peoples mind.

Is it weird that I am now trying to imagine y-l_a naked, even though I have no idea what he looks like? (maybe move this to the shame thread)

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

but seriously, about treadmills....is that a pretty decent way of building endurance and weight loss/toning?  or do you only lose for a while and then hit a wall?

You will keep losing weight.  Use the incline function.  But also stop eating so much, fat face.

i'm not really that fat, meanie head.

I go on a "6" speed and "4" incline.  am i a total pud or is that pretty dece?

its pretty decent, ok cat. youre trying to do a little bit of fat burning as well as get in shape, so running 10 minute miles about right. do you ever walk as a break? i usually do the following on the 'mill:

8:30 mile on 0 inclide
walk 3 minutes on steepest possible incline
9:00 mile on 0 inclide
walk 3 minutes on steepest possible incline
9:30 mile on 0 incline.

the walking lets me catch my breath and gives my joints a break. its pretty stressful on your body to run for an extended period of time if youre overweight. if i run more than a few days in a row ill get shin splints and my knees will get sore 

[chum1]

Crossfit is a competition for badasses very much like world's strongest man.  It's not some new workout fad.  If you haven't seen it, you won't get it.

[OK_Cat]

but seriously, about treadmills....is that a pretty decent way of building endurance and weight loss/toning?  or do you only lose for a while and then hit a wall?

You will keep losing weight.  Use the incline function.  But also stop eating so much, fat face.

i'm not really that fat, meanie head.

I go on a "6" speed and "4" incline.  am i a total pud or is that pretty dece?

its pretty decent, ok cat. youre trying to do a little bit of fat burning as well as get in shape, so running 10 minute miles about right. do you ever walk as a break? i usually do the following on the 'mill:

8:30 mile on 0 inclide
walk 3 minutes on steepest possible incline
9:00 mile on 0 inclide
walk 3 minutes on steepest possible incline
9:30 mile on 0 incline.

the walking lets me catch my breath and gives my joints a break. its pretty stressful on your body to run for an extended period of time if youre overweight. if i run more than a few days in a row ill get shin splints and my knees will get sore 

i will try that.


i go to the ymca after i get off of work, so i watch "man vs food" while i run.  how is that guy not dead?

[CNS]

but seriously, about treadmills....is that a pretty decent way of building endurance and weight loss/toning?  or do you only lose for a while and then hit a wall?

You will keep losing weight.  Use the incline function.  But also stop eating so much, fat face.

i'm not really that fat, meanie head.

I go on a "6" speed and "4" incline.  am i a total pud or is that pretty dece?

its pretty decent, ok cat. youre trying to do a little bit of fat burning as well as get in shape, so running 10 minute miles about right. do you ever walk as a break? i usually do the following on the 'mill:

8:30 mile on 0 inclide
walk 3 minutes on steepest possible incline
9:00 mile on 0 inclide
walk 3 minutes on steepest possible incline
9:30 mile on 0 incline.

the walking lets me catch my breath and gives my joints a break. its pretty stressful on your body to run for an extended period of time if youre overweight. if i run more than a few days in a row ill get shin splints and my knees will get sore 

Something I do that lets you fit in running regardless of the amt of time you have to dedicate to it in any particular work out is running/walking intervals.  I do a minute heavy run and a minute fast walk.  Alternate them for as much time as you have and on any incline you want.  I do 10 min for a warm up on lift days for example, but do 20 -30 min of it on days where I find extra time and just want to cardio it up for a while.  The running can be done at whatevs speed you are comfy with, but it should be a difficult run and you should need the full min walk to recover(and still recover just enough to run again, not get back to slow breathing). 

Intervals are supposed to be better at burning calories and building muscle(which helps burn more calories) than regular jogging. 

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

Intervals are supposed to be better at burning calories and building muscle(which helps burn more calories) than regular jogging.

absolutely correct here, CNS. just going out and jogging for 20 minutes is not as useful as sprint/walk exercises. its just hard to sprint and walk on treadmills because you have to speed up and slow down with the machine. i like going to a nearby school and sprinting the straight aways and walking the curves.

[420seriouscat69]

Any jump ropers in here? Man, it can cut you up!

[Institutional Control]

Any jump ropers in here? Man, it can cut you up!

I bought a mini-tramp. Warning: Better go get a stress test before buying one to ensure you can handle the workout.

[yoga-like_abana]

Any jump ropers in here? Man, it can cut you up!

have a love hate relationship with the jump rope.
something else you "runners" should try is getting on the rowing machines.

[CNS]

Intervals are supposed to be better at burning calories and building muscle(which helps burn more calories) than regular jogging.

absolutely correct here, CNS. just going out and jogging for 20 minutes is not as useful as sprint/walk exercises. its just hard to sprint and walk on treadmills because you have to speed up and slow down with the machine. i like going to a nearby school and sprinting the straight aways and walking the curves.

Yeah, but is worth it to be able to step off and immediately be on weights or a machine without wasting time in coming back from the track.

[yoga-like_abana]

Intervals are supposed to be better at burning calories and building muscle(which helps burn more calories) than regular jogging.

absolutely correct here, CNS. just going out and jogging for 20 minutes is not as useful as sprint/walk exercises. its just hard to sprint and walk on treadmills because you have to speed up and slow down with the machine. i like going to a nearby school and sprinting the straight aways and walking the curves.

try this a few times and see how you like it.. 200m, 400m, 600m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200 meter runs. rest for as long as it took you to run. 200m run took 30 seconds rest 30 seconds then continue on to 400m run..rinse and repeat

[Emo EMAW]

midwesterners such close minded people..

Individual that make generalized judgements about a large group of people are closed minded.

[CNS]

Intervals are supposed to be better at burning calories and building muscle(which helps burn more calories) than regular jogging.

absolutely correct here, CNS. just going out and jogging for 20 minutes is not as useful as sprint/walk exercises. its just hard to sprint and walk on treadmills because you have to speed up and slow down with the machine. i like going to a nearby school and sprinting the straight aways and walking the curves.

try this a few times and see how you like it.. 200m, 400m, 600m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200 meter runs. rest for as long as it took you to run. 200m run took 30 seconds rest 30 seconds then continue on to 400m run..rinse and repeat

My wife is a decent distance runner.  She tried that work out a while ago and it kicked her butt.  She loved it.

[8manpick]

Any jump ropers in here? Man, it can cut you up!

have a love hate relationship with the jump rope.
something else you "runners" should try is getting on the rowing machines.

Rowing machines are great. My roommate routed in college and has an erg at the house, which is great for home workouts.

[Asteriskhead]

I don't agree with everything but a lot of the workouts are great. I'm not sure what you mean by "accomplish", I'm sure everyones goal is different but my goal is to be physically fit and look good naked(not joking at all) oh and kick both of my brothers asses in the workouts.  I like the competition of it and being able to have things to work on and seeing improvements.  It's also a great way to meet new people. If you have good programming it really is pretty great.
It gets a bad rap because it has this brand name of crossfit.  everyone associates it with something but if I did a workout that someone else did and just called it a workout no one would say anything but you do that workout and say its crossfit all of a sudden its taboo in some peoples mind.

I'm just wondering if the same things can be accomplished, physical fitness wise, through standard weight training and interval training or circuits without doing ridiculous complexes that involve repeating an extremely technical lift over and over again in a fatigued state.

I understand the competition aspect. I'm sure there are some affiliates who aren't drinking the kool-aid and just pay the fee so they can market the brand (smart business). I really do despise Greg Glassman, though, but I try to keep those feelings separate from my skepticism towards xfit.

I'd probably enjoy lifting at a box more than I would the Rec, based on the equipment most affiliates have, but I don't want to be in there during a group workout or give a penny of my money to Glassman.

[Asteriskhead]

So I'm thinking of buying resistance bands for workouts at home and on the road.  Seems like a pretty sweet deal since you can carry them anywhere and are cheaper than buying a bunch of barbells. Where can I find good exercises for bands?

Search youtube for Dick Hartzell, he's a strength & conditioning coach that has been around forever and the owner of Jumpstretch. He's got a lot of great information on strength training and stretching with bands.

Also, Iron Woody Fitness used to have the best deals on band packages. You should be able to find exactly what you are looking for by employing those two resources.